A valiant officer on the saddle : CGC Adeniyi at Idiroko, a volatile border terrain

A valiant officer on the saddle :
CGC Adeniyi at Idiroko, a volatile border terrain

…Pledges stronger Customs-community relations to enhance national security

The Comptroller General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, has demonstrated doggedness on the line of duty with his visit to strategic borders across the country. As a valiant officer on the saddle, he is always on the forefront leading his team on official assignments.

The CGC just visited Idiroko, the border, between Nigeria and Benin Republic, which is known for its volatile nature due to nefarious activities of the daredevil smugglers.

Idiroko border is a terrain where smugglers attack officers even at the slightest provocation. So, Customs operations at Idiroko are meant only for gallant officers, who are brave enough to stand the smugglers’ missiles.

Interesting, the Customs Boss
toured Idiroko border,
pledged improved Customs-Community relations to enhance national security.

The CGC promised to improve Customs- Community relations in border areas, in order to facilitate the discharge of the Service mandates.

He emphasised that the role of border community is vital in helping security agencies in the discharge of their duties as regards national security.

In the same vein, CGC Adeniyi and his team visited the Royal Palaces of Oba John Olakunle Ojo, the Oniko of Iko Idiroko Kingdom, Oba Yisa Adeniyi Adelakun Olaniyan, the Onikpokia of Ikpokia Kingdom, as well as the Palace of Oba Kehinde Adeboye Gbadewole Olugbenle, the Oba of Ilaro Kingdom.

Stating the purpose of his visit, the CGC solicited the support of border communities and their leaders, said that it is paramount to the success of the Service operations.

His assertions : “Members of this community, like all other border communities in Nigeria, have a significant role in helping our security Agencies in the discharge of their role as regards national security.

“Idiroko is very strategic to our operations; all borders around Idiroko represent a strategic gateway to not just trade and economic development of Nigeria but also for national security management”.

In turn, the community leaders appreciated the CGC for his visit while raising concerns on issues affecting their livelihood.

The Customs Boss, in response, charged them to channel their reactions appropriately to the government, as the new administration will give a listening ear while also soliciting their support.

The fearless Customs Boss, assured :
“I will request you, as a community, to continue to support the government. We have a new administration that has shown that it will listen to people, a new administration that has demonstrated that when policies are not working, we are ready to review it. Because of that commitment, I want to charge members of this community to channel their reactions appropriately to government and as a responsible government, I believe that they will listen to you and make amendments where necessary”.

The CGC also said that recruitment policies will be revisited to ensure that more people from the border communities get slots into Nigeria Customs Service.

“One fair commitment we will like to give to you is that, we will do better in recruitment with people in border communities into the Service because we believe that they are stakeholders and Customs-community relationship is stronger when you know that you have your sons and daughters in the Service”.

“We are also not unmindful of the fact that where we have this kind of critical operations, we should also be talking about the kind of corporate social responsibility programmes that we are going to be doing”.

The CGC also visited the Ogun I Area Command at Idiroko, where he was received by the Area Controller, Compt. Bamidele Makinde, representatives of Sister Agencies and the Republic of Benin Customs Administration, as well as stakeholders.

He reiterated the need for all Agencies to remain focused and committed towards the ideal of national and regional security.

“For us in Customs and indeed all other members of the Security Agencies, our task in this part of the country is critical. We have a collective mandate to ensure and enhance national security.

“We see every criminal as an enemy of the state first and foremost before you begin to talk about smuggling, human and drug trafficking, and all of that”, he emphasised.

The visit is in continuation of his familiarisation tour of Area Commands and Units in Zone ‘A’.